Press Advisory

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Press Advisory

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release No: 073-09August 26, 2009

NORAD Flight Exercise Planned For Washington, D.C.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental U.S. NORAD Region, will conduct training flight exercises on Thursday, Aug. 27 in the National Capital Region (NCR), Washington, D.C.Exercise Falcon Virgo 09-11will occur between midnight and 2 a.m. EDT.

The exercise comprises of a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Command Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, the Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR), Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR's Eastern Air Defense Sector.

Exercise Falcon Virgo is designed to hone NORAD's intercept and identification operations, as well as procedural tests of the NCR Visual Warning System.The exercise includes two Civil Air Patrol Cessna aircraft and one Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter.

Residents may see these aircraft approaching and flying in the vicinity of the Washington, D.C., area as part of this exercise during the late night and early morning hours and continuing through the scheduled exercise hours.

In the event of inclement weather, the exercise will push to the next day.

For more information on the Exercise Falcon Virgo, please contact CONR Public Affairs at (850) 283-8080, or the NORAD Public Affairs Office at (719) 554-6889.